With the aim to identify important gaps and obstacles on the governance and financing of the Tunisian water sector, the first national multi-stakeholder policy workshop took place in Tunis on 1st of October 2013. The work forms part of the Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector Project that was officially launched in May 2013 (28-29 May, Barcelona) and is jointly implemented by OECD and GWP-Med.
At the 11th GWPSA Consulting Partners held in Pretoria from 12-13th November, 2015, GWPSA Partners elected a new Chair. In line with GWPSA’s Constitution, the Chair will serve for four years. The new Chair, Dr. Kuiri F. Tjipangandjara is from Namibia. He obtained his D Sci Eng Degree in 1991 in Mineral Engineering and Chemical Metallurgy, at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Columbia University, New York City, USA.
Global Water Partnership (GWP) invites all Partners to its annual GWP Network Meeting on 1 June 2015. This year’s meeting will be held online - www.gwp.org - broadcast by live stream, with an opportunity to watch a taped version of the event afterwards.
Τhe 12 OECD Water Governance Principles - developed through a multi-stakeholder approach where GWP-Med was actively engaged - provide a framework for governments to put in place better water policies and are available in 15 languages.
The regional WACDEP team in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), GWP and the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) is working on an initiative to prepare the project for the implementation of integrated flood management and the development of bankable projects, through the Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM), the WACDEP coordination unit.
Uneven geographical distribution, coupled with pressures from rapid population growth, increased urbanization, industrialization and environmental degradation, is a big challenge to the sustainable development of Uganda’s freshwater resources. However, the policy and institutional framework has advanced over the past two decades in Uganda. The policy and legal reform process started with the introduction of the Water Act (1995) and the Uganda Water Action Plan (1995). Other key policies included the National Water Policy (1999) and the Local Government Act (1997, 2000). A key Lesson learnt is that political support matters in achieving success, as does the nature and logic of the political system. In Uganda, political prioritization of water and poverty was central to progress. The depth and longevity of sector reform relies on political support, which can ebb and flow.
The partnership operates under 7 thematic areas. These focus areas are in line with the overall GWP strategy and have been identified to address the various challenges in the water sector in Tanzania.
One of the areas of advocacy that the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) promotes is Rainwater Harvesting (RWH). GWP-C advocates for safe RWH practices as a means of water augmentation, especially in light of climate related scenarios predicted for the Caribbean.
Lake Naivasha is an internationally renowned Ramsar site located in the Rift Valley in Kenya. But unlike most other designated wetlands of international importance, the water in Lake Naivasha also anchors a flourishing horticultural industry. The Lake Naivasha Riparian Association (LNRA) was established in 1929 to protect local land owner’s rights. and the LNRA became more strident in trying to balance the impact of the expanding commercial interests surrounding the lake with protecting its environmental integrity.